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Show 288 MR. A. L. BUTLER ON THE GIANT [Apr. 18, 7. On the Giant Eland of the Bahr el Ghazal, Taurotragus derbianus gigas (Heugl.). By A . L. B u t l e r , F .Z .S ., Superintendent of Game Preservation, Soudan. [Received March 21, 1905.] It is with great pleasure that I at last find myself able to give a fairly accurate description of the Giant Eland of the Bahr el Ghazal-the grandest of all African antelopes. The name Boselciphus gigas was given to the Eland of this region by Yon Heuglin in 1863, and was based only on a massive pair of horns which measured 35 inches in length and 32 inches between the tips. Later on, the observations of Schweinfurth proved that this Eland belonged to a striped form, but from that day until now no complete description of the animal has ever been recorded. In the ‘ Book of Antelopes ' this Eland is treated as a subspecies of Taurotragus oryx, but, naturally, no description of the animal being available, Messrs. Sclater & Thomas were very doubtful where to place it. Thus (‘ Book of Antelopes,' vol. iv. p. 199) they say :■-" In these respects (the great size of the horns and the presence of white stripes) it would seem to approach Taurotragus derbianus, but Schweinfurth says nothing about the black neck of that species." And on p. 208 they remark :- " It may be identical with Taurotragus oryx livingstonii, but as Heuglin has given it a name we will allow him the benefit of the doubt for the present, and will call this northern striped form Taurotragus oryx gigas until further investigations have been made." This name I have ventured to alter to Taurotragus derbianus gigas, as there is now no doubt whatever that the animal is no subspecies of Taurotragus oryx, but a very close ally of the West- African Eland. With this it agrees in its large, wide ears, in having the neck black with a sharply defined white posterior margin, in the black on the lower surface, in the stripes, and in the black patches above the inside of the knees. (These patches are present also in T. oryx, but absent or only faintly grey in T. oryx livingstonii, from which the Bahr el Ghazal Eland proves to be quite distinct.) Indeed, from T. derbianus the Soudan form seems to differ only in its much lighter body-colour (a pale " cafe-au-lait " fawn instead of a rich ruddy brown), in the greyish white of the black-maned dewlap, and in carrying even grander horns. I have from time to time been able to examine nine pairs of horns of this Eland, and they are wonderfully large and massive. The finest pair I myself have handled measured 39^ inches (straight) in length and 39 inches between the tips, but several of the other heads were very little inferior. It is probable that a length exceeding 40 inches is occasionally attained. What seem |